Sydney
– Beaches for Fun in the Sun!

No
matter what type you are headed for, you’ll find enough
beauty and tranquility or adventure and fun to dream of Aussie
beaches for years to come!

Whether you’re up for a Crocodile Dundee adventure
or you’d just like a taste of the Australian sun, the beaches
in and around Sydney can offer you all that and more. Being in the southern
hemisphere, Australia’s seasons are the reverse of those in Europe,
North America, and much of Asia, so if you’re looking for good
beach weather, make sure to travel some time from September to May –
that is, spring to autumn. The Sydney shoreline encompasses over 200
miles of white sandy beaches, exhibiting a variety of atmospheres from
cosmopolitan Bondi Beach to majestic Cronulla.

For one Sydney beach, the name says it all – located at Sydney's
northernmost tip on an extension of land ending at Barrenjoey Head,
Palm Beach lies with the Pacific Ocean to the east side and the Bay
to the west. Before checking out the golden sand, take a quick tour
of the opulent mansions of millionaires from the art and film industries,
for many live on this small spit of land.

Only about an hour from downtown Sydney, Palm Beach offers a long stretch
of clean sand and water, with shops, restaurants, and entertainment
at the southern end. With parking near the center of the beach, that
leaves the rest of it as a sparsely populated, peaceful location from
which you can surf or body board – but take care; without the
huge crowds of other Sydney beaches, Palm Beach doesn’t afford
quite the safety level to be found elsewhere; volunteer lifesavers are
on duty only on weekends and holidays. And if surfing’s not your
style, relax and take in the scenery, or amble up to Barrenjoey Head
to see the lighthouse and catch the view across Broken Bay.

For the big name beach, Bondi has to be your choice. Parking is difficult
to find even on slow days, so consider taking public transport to this
world-renowned beach in the eastern Sydney suburbs. Easily accessible
by taxi, bus, and rail, Bondi Beach offers sun bathing, swimming, snorkeling,
and all sorts of water sports fun.

If you’re in the mood for a bit of exercise, two scenic coastal
walks will afford you great views and sights along the shore. The first,
about 1.5 miles one way, starts at Bondi and heads south to Bronte Beach.
Take in views from Mackenzie’s Point, but don’t try to swim
in Mackenzie’s Bay – it holds dangers such as hidden rocks
and is not patrolled. Farther on, admire the sandstone cliffs at Hawkesbury
and see the aboriginal rock carvings in Marks Park. Next enjoy the quiet
charm of Tamarama, a small beach, not as popular or widely known to
tourists. You’ll finish your walk at North Bronte cliffs, where
hopefully the Norfolk Island hibiscus will be in bloom, thrilling you
with their exotic smell and colors.

Your second option for a scenic coastal walk covers a little under
two miles and takes you from Bronte Beach to Waverly Cemetery. Highlights
include the Bronte Baths and Waverly Cemetery where many notable Australians
are buried, including poets Henry Kendall, Doreothea Mackellar, and
Henry Lawson. A bit farther on you’ll find Bronte House, open
to the public only once a year, but you can still see the waterfall
at the top of Bronte park that feeds a charming stream winding its way
through Coral trees, Eucalyptus, Norfolk Island Pines and Moreton Bay
Fig trees.

Another popular Sydney beach is Cronulla, known for its excellent waves
and shady trees, the waves seemingly Heaven-sent for surfers and body
boarders. The waves allow for every level from beginner to expert, and
the golden beach usually isn’t overflowing with packed, oiled
bodies out for that heavy-duty tan. Cronulla also offers sheltered waters
for canoeing and kayaking, and jet boat tours will have you gasping
for breath as adrenalin pours through your body at the speed with which
you travel the seas! Cronulla is also one of the most popular beaches
for scuba diving, offering clear waters in which to view marine life
the likes of which you’ll probably never have the opportunity
to see again.

Make sure to take a change of clothes, because after an adventurous
day on the beach at Cronulla, you’ll want to take in the nightlife
– restaurants, clubs, cafes, and a whole host of other attractions.
Consider Paddy’s Irish Bar and Restaurant with its live bands
and comedy nights, or just relax at an outdoor café and take
in a movie at one of the cinemas.

Most of the more populated beaches offer a wide range of activities,
from theatre to festivals and food and wine parties. Restaurants and
shops abound, and if you’re feeling adventurous, you can charter
a yacht, hire a kayak, parasail, hang-gliding, snorkel, scuba-dive...
the list goes on and on. Surfing lessons are often available at stops
right along the beaches, and you might even end up at Ocean World to
watch sharks being fed by hand and applaud the antics of the seals as
they perform.

Whether you’re making a day of it or taking a romantic walk along
the sand, remember that Sydney’s beaches are each unique and draw
different types of crowds. Some draw the tourists with their glorious
views of the City Harbour, while others attract surfers and body boarders.
Still others are dotted with family-oriented picnic spots, and some
draw nude sunbathers! No matter what type you are headed for, you’ll
find enough beauty and tranquility or adventure and fun to dream of
Aussie beaches for years to come!

The three authors have created a brilliant parody of those travel books that always have a slightly optimistic edge to the copy despite the country they are writing about possibly being a bit of a third-rate dump.

The River

Gary Paulsen

Two years earlier, Brian was stranded alone in the wilderness for 54 days with nothing but a small hatchet. Yet he survived. Now the government wants him to do it again so the military can learn the survival techniques. But it all goes wrong again!

I Am Charlotte Simmons

Tom Wolfe

Tom Wolfe masterfully chronicles college sports, fraternities, keggers, coeds, and sex - all through the eyes of the titular Simmons, a bright and beautiful freshman at the fictional Dupont University.

False Memory

Dean Koontz

It's a fear more paralyzing than falling. More terrifying than absolute darkness. More horrifying than anything you can imagine. It's the one fear you cannot escape, no matter where you hide. It's the fear of yourself. It's real. It can happen to you. And facing it can be deadly.